State’s gas storage capacity set to grow

Resources Victoria has granted a production licence for the Golden Beach Energy Storage Project, which will help to increase the state’s gas storage capacity by around 70 per cent.

Resources Victoria has granted a production licence for the Golden Beach Energy Storage Project, which will help to increase the state’s gas storage capacity by around 70 per cent.

Peak gas demand, typically on our coldest days, can outstrip maximum direct supply, meaning we rely on gas that’s stored underground. Gas was stored securely in these reservoirs for millions of years and can now be added and removed based on supply and demand.

The Golden Beach Energy Storage Project will produce gas off the coast of Ninety Mile Beach in Gippsland for a short period to partially empty the gas field, which will then be used to store gas and smooth out supply between high and low gas demand periods.

GB Energy will drill offshore to access the gas field between November 2026 and March 2027, with gas expected to be extracted in 2028. During this time a drill rig will be visible from the shore.

Once the field is partially depleted, gas will be sent back through the pipeline from onshore and stored in the field from 2029.